Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases
University of Georgia
New test protocol can detect low levels of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases have developed the first test to determine whether treatment for Chagas disease was effective. An estimated 6 million to 8 million people worldwide are infected with …
UGA researchers develop first test of cure for Chagas disease (UGA Today) UGA Pioneers First Test for Chagas Disease Cure (Mirage) UGA researchers develop first test of cure for Chagas disease (Newswise) ¿Se curó la infección de Chagas? Un nuevo test podría dar la respuesta (Infobae) Chagas disease: Test for cure (Outbreak News Today) AN2 …
Cryptosporidium parvum is a significant pathogen causing gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals. It is spread through ingesting contaminated food and water. Despite its global health significance, generating a C. parvum genome sequence has been challenging for many reasons including cloning and challenging subtelomeric regions. A new, gapless, hybrid, telomere-to-telomere genome assembly was created for …
CD8+ T cells are key effectors in immune control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Within C57BL/6 mice, the T. cruzi-specific CD8+ T cell response is largely comprised of T cells recognizing trans-sialidase (TS)- and mucin-encoded epitopes. Despite their immunodominance, these epitope-specific CD8+ T cells are entirely dispensable for immune control. In a screen for epitopes inducing …
A target specimen profile (TSP) corresponds to the required characteristics of the specimen panels needed to demonstrate that a diagnostic kit meets the target product profile (TPP). TSPs can guide biobanks in the prospective collection of sample panels to support the development and validation of diagnostics. Fay Betsou, Warren Fransman, Patrick Lammie. Diagnostics (Basel). 2025 …
Human infections by Trypanosoma cruzi propagate via its blood-feeding triatomine vector. Investigating parasite-vector interactions depends upon robust techniques to rear insects and analyze infections. Here, we present a protocol for laboratory rearing and infection tracking of Rhodnius prolixus. We describe steps for housing, feeding, and sorting strategies using 3D-printable designs. We also detail procedures for …
Trypanosoma cruzi typically establishes a life-long infection in its mammalian hosts, causing the destruction of muscle tissues and ultimately resulting in potentially fatal Chagas disease. In this review, we consider the array of avoidance mechanisms that allow for T. cruzi persistence, many of which are unconventional among protozoan pathogens but which collectively are highly effective …
The Trypanosoma brucei group of parasites causes Nagana in cattle and human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness, in humans. Current drugs against these parasites have severe toxicity, vaccines are not available, and development of drug resistance makes finding new chemotherapeutic targets imperative. Ion channels, which are involved in several biological processes, are targets of many therapeutically useful …
